So basically the family fighting for their selfish desire to have their kid live ended up damaging their brain with the cure. Some cure. Depending on the level of damage, it would've been much more ethical to let her die from the cancer. I don't like saying it, but it's something we need to consider.

/feels like a scumbag//trying to be an ethical scumbag

I agree, although they did rather gloss over the brain damage part somewhat, so I'd be rather interested in knowing exactly how brain damaged she is. Though I suspect it is less likely to be that she might be a slow learner, and more along the lines of cannot perform basic functions anymore. If she cannot go on to live an independent life in the future, then I'd certainly say her parents were indeed horrible selfish people.

So basically the family fighting for their selfish desire to have their kid live ended up damaging their brain with the cure. Some cure. Depending on the level of damage, it would've been much more ethical to let her die from the cancer. I don't like saying it, but it's something we need to consider.

aerojockey:Based on the name of the disease (which makes me think the tumor is near the pineal gland) and the fact that the girl needs a wheelchair, I'd guess brain stem took the damage, meaning that things like her coordination would be affected.

From reading elsewhere, though unfortunately most of the articles seem to be carbon copies of this one, she is also legally blind and they are saying the total volume of her brain is now less than it would be for a normal child her age thanks to the amount of radiation/chemo she went through.

Nidiot:encyclopediaplushuman: TFA says she has brain damage as a result of the treatment.

So basically the family fighting for their selfish desire to have their kid live ended up damaging their brain with the cure. Some cure. Depending on the level of damage, it would've been much more ethical to let her die from the cancer. I don't like saying it, but it's something we need to consider.

/feels like a scumbag//trying to be an ethical scumbag

I agree, although they did rather gloss over the brain damage part somewhat, so I'd be rather interested in knowing exactly how brain damaged she is. Though I suspect it is less likely to be that she might be a slow learner, and more along the lines of cannot perform basic functions anymore. If she cannot go on to live an independent life in the future, then I'd certainly say her parents were indeed horrible selfish people.

Yeah, I'm sure it was all sunshine and roses for the family going through this. Part of it too, for anyone who has had a family member go through cancer, is that maybe, just maybe, something learned in the treatment for your family member who will almost likely die might help someone out in the future to survive for a bit longer or beat cancer. The cancer in this case would still be a terminal cancer - and likely will still have a low survival rate for some time - if it weren't for patients and their families willing to go through treatment like this. So are these parents selfish because they put their daughter through a treatment that may not have saved her life but only helped out in the research? What about the parents of all the other children who have suffered through this disease only to have to bury their children? Are they selfish too?

DrunkenBob:How quickly can we carve her up and preserve her? She's got the cure, we just need to discover how she did it. Longer we wait, the more time her body has to cover up the evidence of its shameful betrayal upon itself. It did, after all, murder a biological development with the same DNA. She's not human anymore.

She didn't cure herself, the doctors radiated and chemo'ed her almost to death, and they just managed to kill the tumour before they managed to kill her. That's how it's mostly done.

I knew a woman who had a brain cancer when she was young, like 12. Her family found out when she collapsed and was rushed to hospital. A couple of years later, having had emergency brain surgery with follow up radiation/chemo, she was bald, in a wheelchair, and with one heck of a scar in the back of her skull (and missing bits of skull). Ten years after that, I met her in university, where she was walking again and getting on with her life. Ten years on, after I first met her, she's strong, well-educated, and still missing some hair. And she's more functional, self-disciplined, and determined that most other people our age that I know. So good for her, and good for this little girl for surviving. I hope she thrives like my friend has thrived when given the chance.

I hate articles like this. My mother and uncle died of Brain cancer, each at age 50. My poor grandmother, at the time, was convinced by Reader's Digest articles that there were "MIRACLE CURES" out there, and was flat out frantic that the doctors just weren't trying.

During the misery of brain surgeries and chemo, my mother had 3 more years of "life" in which she was keenly aware and ashamed that her mental capacity was diminished and that she no longer even felt like the same person. She just knew that she was stupid, bloated, bald, uncoordinated and in pain.

When my time comes, I'll be focusing on my remaining quality of life, personal dignity and pain management with an ultimate exit plan.

Well, she's 8. She might be rather delayed, but kids have loads of neuroplasticity.

All in all, bravo, you killed a cancer using radiological brute force. Inelegant compared to other stuff you see in the news. Like reprogramming a virus to attack a target cancer.

I have rather brutal things to say about spending hundreds of thousands to cure kids. These entities that have had little put into them, not even any education expenditures. Similar with the 85 year old hip replacement, the person has reached an end. But we see it perfectly fine to send 18 -21 year olds into combat when we just finished raising them. Same thing about reserving a vaccine for seniors and infants. One bad flu and all we have are old people and children.

Another article spoke of "loss of speech" but nothing more drastic... could be a consequence of tumor pressure on brain areas. If not, well, sign language is available; it's not like she was locked in by the damn thing, I hope she recovers from the whole damn thing soon. In the meantime...

Nidiot:encyclopediaplushuman: TFA says she has brain damage as a result of the treatment.

So basically the family fighting for their selfish desire to have their kid live ended up damaging their brain with the cure. Some cure. Depending on the level of damage, it would've been much more ethical to let her die from the cancer. I don't like saying it, but it's something we need to consider.

/feels like a scumbag//trying to be an ethical scumbag

I agree, although they did rather gloss over the brain damage part somewhat, so I'd be rather interested in knowing exactly how brain damaged she is. Though I suspect it is less likely to be that she might be a slow learner, and more along the lines of cannot perform basic functions anymore. If she cannot go on to live an independent life in the future, then I'd certainly say her parents were indeed horrible selfish people.

Based on the name of the disease (which makes me think the tumor is near the pineal gland) and the fact that the girl needs a wheelchair, I'd guess brain stem took the damage, meaning that things like her coordination would be affected.

Nidiot:The more you eat the more you fart: Nidiot: encyclopediaplushuman: TFA says she has brain damage as a result of the treatment.

So basically the family fighting for their selfish desire to have their kid live ended up damaging their brain with the cure. Some cure. Depending on the level of damage, it would've been much more ethical to let her die from the cancer. I don't like saying it, but it's something we need to consider.

/feels like a scumbag//trying to be an ethical scumbag

I agree, although they did rather gloss over the brain damage part somewhat, so I'd be rather interested in knowing exactly how brain damaged she is. Though I suspect it is less likely to be that she might be a slow learner, and more along the lines of cannot perform basic functions anymore. If she cannot go on to live an independent life in the future, then I'd certainly say her parents were indeed horrible selfish people.

Ask the lite girl is she'd rather be dead or not.

I know this is fark..but damn there are some sick bastards in here

Good point, but what if she just stares blankly and drools...?

Good point. Why bother trying to save a stroke victim. They might end up only able to stare and drool. Or...Maybe in trying to save people with this rare condition, they may discover something that helps prevent, or treat the condition better so the next survivor doesn't suffer as much.

I realize humans suck at the cold calculus of cutting their losses, but the fact that people are willing to risk themselves for others, even when they might all die is the one thing I think we humans get right.

/not trying to be too snarky, I do understand your point, I just think it's the kind of risk that is justified, all jmho

So basically the family fighting for their selfish desire to have their kid live ended up damaging their brain with the cure. Some cure. Depending on the level of damage, it would've been much more ethical to let her die from the cancer. I don't like saying it, but it's something we need to consider.

/feels like a scumbag//trying to be an ethical scumbag

The article says she, "has some residual brain damage," which I would read as, "she's not rocking back and forth, drooling and pooping her pants."

I work in an office where we employee people with mental disabilities (along the lines of Down syndrome, although that's not the cause for all of them). They are all adults. They all have distinct personalities. They laugh about stuff. They get annoyed with their co-workers. They participate in company-wide activities. They seem to take just as much enjoyment and sorrow from life as the lawyers, accountants, secretaries and IT people around them.

I'm sure none of them would prefer to be dead. I'm sure this girl is at least as well off as any of them, if not better.

/We don't use disposable cups, plates, forks, etc. They gather the mugs and other items from around the office and run them through the dishwasher on a regular basis, as well as helping to clean up after meetings and conferences.

And the reason why I could never have been a doctor is that I would have just gotten TOTALLY pissed off when I diagnosed, worked, prescribed, treated, and cured a patient, and they and their family turn around and say "We prayed and God delivered a miracle."

FARK you! Fark you fark you fark you!!! You don't think the doctors who busted ass to save you/your loved one had anything to do with it? That science didn't save them? You insist that God "worked through them" to save you or your loved one?!?

doczoidberg:That's me. I've seen so many relatives pointlessly spend their last few months of life getting poked and prodded and chopped into pieces in some vain attempt to beat the cancer. It never works.

When my turn comes, I will have three questions for the doctor: how long do I have, what will the end be like, and what meds can I have for the pain? I am not going to fight it.

I don't even plan on telling anyone.

Cancer doesn't run in my family but on the off chance I should get it, I would ask "if I go through the chemo and radiation, will it buy me years?" If it won't, drug me up and let me go. I've seen enough friends and colleagues go through that shiat to say no farking way.